Integrated Services and Housing Consultation, November 2012

The OECD Social Policy Ministerial in 2011 identified integrating services as a priority area for development in terms of knowledge building and information sharing, with the long-term aim of improving policies and outcomes for vulnerable populations and service users more generally.

This first expert consultation on Integrated Services and Housing will concentrate on the discussion of people with very high needs. The purpose of the consultation is to provide a forum for experts, working in the area of integrating social services and housing for vulnerable populations across the OECD, to share cross-national experiences.

The consultation will be made up of six sessions, presented over 1 ½ days. Within each session, an open discussion of the prioritisation of housing services in a schema of necessary social services for vulnerable groups is encouraged. Expert participants are invited to freely contribute experience, opinion and evidence to each discussion in regard to conceptual and delivery issues underlying recent policy and research in the area. Also, participants are asked to draw attention to the priorities for future comparative work in the area of Integrated Services and Housing.

To access the working papers prepared for the meeting please see - work undertaken by the OECD Social Policy Division [paper] and commissioned experts, including Dr. Richard Frank (Harvard Medical School) [paper] and Nicolas Pleace (the University of York) [paper].

Consultation Agenda

Day 1 - Room CC6

09:00 to 10.30

Session 1: The What, Why’s and How’s of integrating housing and service delivery

Professor Dominique Verté (Advisor on Science and Innovation, Office of the Vice-Minister- President of the Flemish Gov. and Flemish Minister for Innovation, Public Investment and Media, Belgium). [presentation]

10:30 to 11:00

COFFEE/TEA

11:00 to 12:30

Session 6: Open consultation – where next?

Speakers:

Robert Aldridge (Chief Executive of the Scottish Council for Single Homeless, United Kingdom)